Millage proposal supporting Oakland County schools fails in primary election

Schools in Oakland County, Michigan, hoped voters would pass a millage to increase per-pupil funding by more than $700, but the proposal failed in Tuesday's primary election by about 7,000 votes. 

The proposal, called the Regional Enhancement Millage Proposal, would have had a rate of 1.5 mills over six years, providing $781 per student annually. That money would be on top of funding provided through the state government. 

This year, the legislature allocated $10,300 per student. Usually, when it comes to increasing per-student funding, the only way is through the state budget, but an enhancement millage like this one would have been a workaround. 

If the millage had passed, schools would have had more discretion over how to use the funds. School officials told CBS News Detroit in June that things like teacher retention and keeping class sizes small were top of mind for the funding. 

Without the money, officials said they were concerned about cuts.   

"We felt it was necessary to ask the voters to consider this because over the years, school costs continue to rise, and inflation outpaces what we receive from the state," Berkley Schools Superintendent Scott Francis said in June. "Our main revenue comes from the state, and it's been very challenging to keep up with the rising costs and to pay competitive salaries for our staff." 

Francis said the millage was necessary because of rising school operating costs driven by inflation.  

Meanwhile, Troy Education Association President Jason Cichowicz said per-pupil funding would have been best spent on student resources, such as student wellness programs or career and technical education programs.

"School funding has not kept up with the pace of inflation, and this has left our schools underfunded and struggling to meet the needs of our students," Cichowicz said in June.